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"The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup - Sports (8569) - Nairaland

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Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Humility017(m): 4:54pm On May 11, 2020
chucs:
When Stephen Keshi was appointed, I packed my bag and left the Super Eagles - Taiye Taiwo
opera.com May 10, 2020 10:00 PM


The widespread of allegations against Late Stephen Keshi's era as the chief of the Super Eagles of Nigeria has taken a new direction after former AC Milan and QPR left back revealed that he had to leave the National team settings because of some shady deals within the camp.

''I am someone who don't want dirty glory and in my life, I have never been involved in what is not clean and that was why I packed my bags and left the Super Eagles. ''I cannot work or stay where I see that is dirty because I am serving a clean God, and if I am in an area that is not clean, I will have to leave the place. ''When they appointed Stephen Keshi as coach, he was acting someone in which I told my self that it was time for me to leave the Super Eagles. ''I packed my bags and I told my wife and family that I cannot be involved in dirty deals,'' Taiye Taiwo explained. (www.Legit.ng)



This will make it the fourth player to come out and attack the people handling the super Eagles team under Stephen Keshi's era.



Chinedu Obasi was the first to raise a finger of accusation after he said he was asked to bring money before he would make the 2014 world cup squad, the fire had not gone down when former Youth International Emmanuel Sarki alleged that he was asked to bring the sum of $10,000 in other to be invited.

Imoh Ezekiel was the last of the trio to come out as he said he was also asked to pay his way into the main National team despite scoring 22 goals in Belgium in 2013/2014 season.

What's your take on this whole issue?

Are they all being made up or there is an element of truth in these allegations?

From Opera News Hub

so says a player who dotted his age
just say you were not in good terms with him and your bloated ego never allowed you to apologize.

If it was just money...I am so sure you would have been willing to grease palms to get call ups
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by mkrest(m): 4:57pm On May 11, 2020
ChrisKels:


He was never a "mighty", he has always been a mere average player or a prospect.


The "mighty" was what am sure he was feeling then , when he was being chased / begged
Well who is doing the begging now
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Humility017(m): 4:59pm On May 11, 2020
sheyishemba:
Odegbami: I Choose To Be Foolish – Let Gernot Rohr Go!


138  May 8, 2020 3:18 pm
This week I was in the clinic for an ‘emergency’ check-up. My Blood Pressure rapidly headed northwards!
Professor Akinyanju told me as soon as he checked me that it should never be reported that the Enough Ambassador for Africa, NCD, Champion of ‘Exercise is Medicine’ in Nigeria, and a consultant to the Nigerian Heart Foundation, fell to Stroke.
I understood immediately what he meant. It was a wake-up call

For three days in this past one week ‘sleep’ and I were enemies. The anxiety created by the endless news of the Covid-19 pandemic around the world was taking a toll.

I was frustrated and depressed by the absence of clarity about the ‘killing’ virus as I surfed from one news channel to another.
In Nigeria, the situation is even worse and more frustrating. The only thing that is clear is that we are
sitting ducks considering our situation and our reactions to what even the most advanced countries are struggling to understand and stop as they continue to lose lives in tens of thousands.
So, to survive this, we must find and take our future and actions in our own hands.

There is an inevitability about certain things now. The pandemic has arrived on our shores and we are unprepared for it. So, we are on our own in the world to solve our problem or perish. The numbers have started to mount in deaths.

So, I left the clinic knowing I had to reduce my ‘relationship’ with the new media that was raising my blood pressure.
I decided it was time to put on my thinking cap, to recalibrate my mind and to begin to draw inspiration from outside the conventional box. I shall now put my trust in the simple and practical things that take their source from the rich reservoir of local knowledge, history, traditions and values of my people, that gave rise to my vision some two years ago when I campaigned to become governor of Ogun State.
So, what is that?

I start to look for the brighter side of this pandemic, if there is one. I start to look beneath the darkness for the treasures that lie in the unfathomed caves of vast natural resources lying just beneath our feet all over Africa, at the still-virgin environments and luxuriant vegetation, at the deep throve of African human capacity outside the continent building advanced cultures, at local knowledge and research products appearing in Madagascar, Senegal, Ghana and other African communities being disregarded deliberately by the West for their own purpose but which can serve us.
I start looking forward to the ‘tomorrow’ after Covid-19 (it will remain with the world for some time to come, we are told). That ‘tomorrow’ will usher in a new order of things in the world. Nothing will be the way it was till now. I can start now to live in my political vision of the emergence of a new Black consciousness and civilization in a new world led by Nigeria, with its epicenter in Ogun State. Post-covid-19?

The emerging picture recalibrates my mind and body, and takes me away from the negativity of the present to a new place in the nearest future, removing my anxiety and beginning to feed my creative spirit and heal me physically, mentally and spiritually.
I now choose to look at Nigeria’s ‘loss’ of its economic mainstay and its bane, oil, as a blessing in disguise. I turn my mind towards the vast untapped (or stolen) reserves of the world’s most important other minerals lying buried in the ground underneath our feet all over the African continent.

I turn my mind to the now-inevitable return to Africa of its well-trained sons and daughters, the largest pool of the most educated persons on earth, human capacity across all disciplines now scattered in major Western capitals. I start to see the possibility of a rich Black diaspora population eager to return home as a consequence of what they went through in foreign countries that refuse to shed their cloak of racism during this pandemic. I see a return of Blacks to their roots and motherland, to settle and to invest, to strategically and smartly deploy their acquired expertise in new science and technology to redesign and sensibly rebuild a new Africa that will not chase the West but create and nurture a new environment. Nature will smile ‘happily’ on Africa as the last un-spoilt frontier and hasten the continent’s recovery even from the current coronavirus pandemic.

Now, I chose to be foolish. I shall explore the Coronavirus local remedies found in Madagascar, in Ghana, in Sierra Leone, and other places, but deliberately underrated and disregarded by the West and Eastern scientists, to provide new possibilities of succor for Africans. There is nothing to lose by looking internally and researching local options.
I even chose to be ‘foolish’ on the matter of Nigerian football. I shall address the issue of NFF chieftains about to renew the contract of German coach Gernot Rohr. I shall disregard what the promoters of Gernot Rohr are saying that no Nigerian coach is qualified enough to handle the national football team of the country even after the German had failed in his years as manager to deliver on the soft mandates given to him. To think this way is disrespectful and denigrating to all Black people.

To imagine that the German is now willing to accept new conditions deliberately designed for him to reject, means there is more to the whole matter than meets the eye, or he knows the value of the Super Eagles’ job more than his Nigerian bosses do. Is it because he loves the country more than Nigerians?
Who really loves the Nigerian? Covid-19 pandemic has become an eye-opener.
So, I choose to be foolish on the matter of Gernot Rohr. Let him go ‘jeje’ with his ‘superior’ knowledge of football and serve elsewhere.

We forget our history and the capacity of Nigerians to succeed. In 1968, for example, at the Mexico Olympic Games , a Nigerian, according to some people the best Nigerian player of all time, Teslim
Thunder Balogun, coached the Green Eagles that played against the greatest football nation on earth at the time, Brazil, to a pulsating, well-earned 3-3 draw. That’s over half a Century ago!

The surviving members of the 1973 All-Africa Games Green Eagles that won the Gold medal can testify that brain behind that victory was another great former ex-international player, Captain and then assistant coach of the team, Mr. Dan Anyiam, a very intelligent, eloquent, well-trained and educated coach.
The exploits of Stephen Keshi of recent years as a coach are unmatched by any coach local or foreign in our entire history.
Are these not Nigerians?
If we had continued in the trajectory of using the best trained Nigerians as our national coaches, inviting foreign coaches without pedigree to handle their national team in concession to their ‘superiority’ would not arise in 2020.

Gernot Rohr has done his bit and collected his wages. Every month he was paid $50,000 Dollars? Who earns that kind of money for the amount of work he did in the years of his stay in Nigeria? It is ludicrous.
What did he really do? Did he win any international trophies for Nigeria? Did he impact the Nigerian league and domestic players in any way? Did he train any Nigerian coaches to be able to take over from him? The longest time he stayed with the national team for any stretch was a maximum of four weeks, twice in the 4 years of his expiring contract – before and during the World Cup in 2018, and before AFCON in 2019. Every other time all he did was assemble players from Europe two days to a match, selected his lineup for the match and returned to his paid ‘vacation’. Which Nigerian coach worth any salt cannot do what he did for Nigeria? Is that what anyone should earn $50,000 Dollars a month for?

Even the scouting for Nigerian-born players in Europe that constitute a large percentage of Gernot Rohr ‘s team presently is done by a hardworking Nigerian man, Tunde Adelakun, we are told.

Now with Covid-19 and its economic consequences, no one should even be thinking of expending unavailable foreign exchange for a job Nigerians can handle and that does not require rocket science, period. To suggest a wage-cut is even annoying. Was the size of his wage the reason for his failure?

We are entering a new phase in the ongoing War of global Civilizations. No African should promote color or racial superiority in African football. No Nigerian dares do so at this point.

So, I choose to be foolish. I shall thank Gernot Rohr for what the good services he has rendered and release him. I shall get one of our own qualified sons, and sink or swim with him into that emerging new world order beyond Covid-19.

please stop quoting this old man

he is pained.
he couldn't have done any better....

1 Like

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by mkrest(m): 5:05pm On May 11, 2020
elyte89:
cool

J. J maestro, skillful
Onazi fearless
Nwakali majestic , technical
Ndidi hard
Ogu strong
Oliseh precision , leader
Iwobi elegant
Imo
Where is Mike , he is my ideal choice for leader
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by charlesemeka85(m): 5:17pm On May 11, 2020
Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo is interesting QPR.

The London Evening Standard says QPR are preparing a bid for Ugbo.

Ugbo scored 13 goals on loan at Dutch side Roda JC this term, before the season was scrapped due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Now QPR want him.

Ugbo has been at Chelsea since he was nine, and Coventry are also keen on striking a deal. His contract at Stamford Bridge is up next summer.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by komekn(m): 5:32pm On May 11, 2020
charlesemeka85:
and you re too daft to understand that its unlogical for obasi to mention names. We all know obasi is a level headed and soft spoken lad and for him to come out with such claims it implies that there is an atom of truth in what he said. Even amokachi made the same insinuation few months ago.


With regard to the bullish Amokachi it's really is the case of the very deep rooted blackest pot calling the kettle black.

1 Like

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:38pm On May 11, 2020
Humility017:


please stop quoting this old man

he is pained.
he couldn't have done any better....

Very overhyped legend.

Village champion. Only thing he can stake his name to is AFCON glory. His mated were playing in top European teams yet he was like a one-eyed king in the land of the blind.

Even Wikipedia no get him stats. Very overrated player

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Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:40pm On May 11, 2020
elyte89:



Him no get choice na...no more England chance @ age 24 but unfortunately for him,d guy rôle is filled up...he can try musa wing sha cool

Such players are bad for the team. Ain't nothing better than loyalty. Any player not loyal before can't suddenly turn a new leaf. Let him keep calling himself Aibe or isn't that his name again?
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:41pm On May 11, 2020
ChrisKels:


He was never a "mighty", he has always been a mere average player or a prospect.

Exactly.

Just cos he plied his trade in England doesn't make him mighty
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:42pm On May 11, 2020
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:43pm On May 11, 2020
Danielnino00:


U made the assumption that Billing could displace Ndidi if he gets to play for the national team...
And I'm telling u that Rohr won't bench Ndidi or any of his regular boys just like that for Billing or any other player..
Rohr doesn't operate like that!

If Billing gets a call up for our next game,he will have to wait to get his chance as long as Ndidi is fit...unless he wish to play another role aside from DM .

And yes,Ndidi will never be benched as long as he is fit and available !

I agree with all you said
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:46pm On May 11, 2020
Joebie:
If Billing eventually turns out for us and he can translate his club performances to the national team, he would add something we currently lack in midfield. And that is aerial duels. He could prove a good addition. Let's wait and see.

Another comparison with Ndidi from a different stats tool.

Oga, how has his Ariel duels contributed to match wins?

Does he score headers regularly? Is he better interceptor than Ndidi. He will play second fiddle to Ndidi as long as Ndidi is fit. That's the truth
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by AndSunGorilla: 5:47pm On May 11, 2020
Humility017:


so says a player who dotted his age
just say you were not in good terms with him and your bloated ego never allowed you to apologize.

If it was just money...I am so sure you would have been willing to grease palms to get call ups
Yes I believe Taiwo doctored his age but as an already established international with good accomplishments I don't believe he needed to grease any palms to continue playing in the SE. So you are right he probably had issues with Keshi.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:51pm On May 11, 2020
Subzero047:


With the coming year and Ejaria, Iwobi is not a guaranteed starter and Jamilu Collins position is not safe

Only Ekong, Osimhen and Ndidi are SE guaranteed starters

Iwobi has regressed so much and I pointed this put to people here but was attacked by his fanboys. He is living on past glory now.

Jamilu was always below average and I'm glad for the competition he is having. I don't see anything different between him and Bryan Idowu.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:54pm On May 11, 2020
vision4everlan:
Abeg, iwobi is an average player. He is okay and that's all. He is not really world class. His ability to control the midfield is limited when he comes up against a highly technical team. Nigeria vs Algeria in afcon 2019 comes to mind. Ejaria or someone better might bench him as time goes on


Iwobi is overrated.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Humility017(m): 6:10pm On May 11, 2020
Blueelf:


Very overhyped legend.

Village champion. Only thing he can stake his name to is AFCON glory. His mated were playing in top European teams yet he was like a one-eyed king in the land of the blind.

Even Wikipedia no get him stats. Very overrated player

I tell you...
it Is annoying to see him bleating like a goat all over

ask him the way forward for our football na
you'll hear him spill trash...

some of this old folks are really annoying and they don't know how to earn respect
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Humility017(m): 6:11pm On May 11, 2020
AndSunGorilla:

Yes I believe Taiwo doctored his age but as an already established international with good accomplishments I don't believe he needed to grease any palms to continue playing in the SE. So you are right he probably had issues with Keshi.

Yeah...sure but him talking as if he is a righteous fellow irritates me.

unlike others who never seen to justify themselves or claim the "holy" status
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Humility017(m): 6:13pm On May 11, 2020
somehow:
I have not for once said what they are saying don't happen. what I am saying is that, without names, nothing can be done except you want the law enforcement agencies to go on a goose chase.
This is why you need evidence.

Another way is for our lazy journalists to go into investigative journalism, a collabo with some spies, and set some people up randomly just like some foreign journalists did to Salisu. How come we don't do such here?


You wrote true....
I so much which our journalist can do all this you said above
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Subzero047: 6:23pm On May 11, 2020
Blueelf:


Iwobi has regressed so much and I pointed this put to people here but was attacked by his fanboys. He is living on past glory now.

Jamilu was always below average and I'm glad for the competition he is having. I don't see anything different between him and Bryan Idowu.


The thing is, Iwobi does not have the mindset of a professional footballer, he doesn't train, he has a poor cardio, he is more interested in being a celebrity than being a footballer

Carlo Ancelotti prefers a 4-4-2 formation and I'm struggling to see where he would fit in the new Everton side

1 Like

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by tbaba1234: 6:23pm On May 11, 2020
somehow:
I have not for once said what they are saying don't happen. what I am saying is that, without names, nothing can be done except you want the law enforcement agencies to go on a goose chase.
This is why you need evidence.

Another way is for our lazy journalists to go into investigative journalism, a collabo with some spies, and set some people up randomly just like some foreign journalists did to Salisu. How come we don't do such here?


Law Enforcement will have a case if they get players affected to testify. There have been many players involved in this. If you get 3-5 to testify, you have a strong case.

There would also be bank transfer records in some cases.

Many players will not want to go that route, it draws attention to them. Even Obasi is getting pressured and he mentioned no names.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by ChrisKels: 6:24pm On May 11, 2020
mkrest:



The "mighty" was what am sure he was feeling then , when he was being chased / begged
Well who is doing the begging now

He was never begged. Yes, he was approached
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by komekn(m): 6:25pm On May 11, 2020
BascoVanVeli:


Let the public decide that. Nobody gains anything this way. Oga we are talking about solicitation for bribe, that is a crime. If u really want our football to be clean then u ask for the name of the culprit. Everything else should be taken to Linda Ikeji

When Ibori offered the former chair of the EFCC a cash bribe of $16 million dollars.

What happened NOTHING.

Delta state government shamelessly trieste even claim it as giver funds. But it would result in multiple self indictmentd. So the money has remained thier.

Although l will not be shocked if it has been given back to him through the backdoor. This is after all NIGERIA.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by AndSunGorilla: 6:28pm On May 11, 2020
Humility017:


Yeah...sure but him talking as if he is a righteous fellow irritates me.

unlike others who never seen to justify themselves or claim the "holy" status


Well said sir.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Joebie: 6:30pm On May 11, 2020
LONG READ: Just how did Reading FC capture Ovie Ejaria?
By Adam Goodwin

Three point five million pounds. It can’t get you much these days, especially in footballing terms. It could get you half of Patrick Bamford, roughly 4% of Paul Pogba, or Kylian Mbappe’s right foot. Or, if you like, just over 85,000 chicken balti pies at the Madjeski Stadium.
But it’s also the same amount of money Reading are set to pay Liverpool for Ovie Ejaria at the end of the season, and nobody can seem to work out why. Named as the 70th Best Teenager in The World 2017 by FourFourTwo and dubbed the ‘English Pogba’ on infamous Netflix series Sunderland ‘Til I Die, Ejaria has always been highly-rated, so what led to the Royals purchasing him for such a steal?

Having been released by Arsenal at 16 and reportedly rejecting PSG to join Liverpool in 2014, Jurgen Klopp gave Ejaria his first senior appearances during pre-season of the 2016-17 season. After impressing the German, he earned himself multiple appearances for the first team throughout the following campaign.

In March 2017, Klopp said: “I saw [Ejaria] playing a few times and having him around for four days and seeing him in small spaces in the sessions against the ‘adults’ was very important for him and for me.

“There’s no doubt about the attitude, there’s no doubt about quality - it’s only a question of are they already ready or not? If not, then they still have time. If yes, then lets make the next step.”

Ejaria’s former Liverpool under-23 boss Neil Critchley added: "He has these real ‘wow’ moments which just make you smile because it’s brilliant to watch.

“When he is faced with a defender one-on-one in the penalty area, you sort of feel sorry for the defender because you know there is only going to be one outcome.”

Despite high praise from his Reds bosses, two loan spells before a switch to the Royals ended his five-year spell in Merseyside.

The Independent journalist and Liverpool fan Karl Matchett watched the midfielder closely during his time at Anfield and says that it was through no fault of his own that Ejaria wasn’t successful at the club.

“It didn't work out because we moved up a few levels very quickly and left him behind. Some players just develop a little slower and maybe he needed some time and experience,” said Matchett.

“He was one of the first few to be given a chance under Klopp, so I think that heightened the excitement around him along with some of the bits he'd done at youth level.

“There was no doubting the talent, it was just the usual questions of consistency and maturity.”

With the arrivals of Mo Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, there was no room for Ejaria in Klopp’s plans. He made his first loan switch in the 2017/18 January transfer window, when he moved to Sunderland on Deadline Day.

The Black Cats were 23rd in the Championship when he made the temporary switch to Wearside, with the club looking to bounce back from finishing bottom of the Premier League the season before.

He made 11 appearances at the Stadium of Light but couldn’t prevent them from suffering a consecutive relegation. His only goal for the club came once their fate had already been sealed, as he poked home from close-range against champions Wolves.

Matthew Crichton, a writer for Sunderland fan site Roker Report, insists that it was just wrong place, wrong time for Ejaria at the Stadium of Light.

“We were battling to avoid relegation and needed experienced heads. Instead, we signed the likes of Ashley Fletcher, Jake Clarke-Salter and Ejaria on loan. That trio all enjoyed poor spells with the club but are now playing regular Championship football, so I would say Ejaria just was not the player we needed at that point,” Crichton said.

“It was unrealistic to believe a 20-year-old could be thrown straight into the first team, having never played regular senior football, and instantly hit the ground running, especially in the position we were in.

“We weren’t the right club for him to be thrown in at the deep end. I think the pressure of playing a lead role in front of 40,000 people at a club fighting relegation was too big of an ask.”

Despite a disappointing spell at Sunderland, Ejaria was one of a few youngsters who new Rangers boss Steven Gerrard turned to, as he looked to bolster his squad with some loanees from his former club.

He started brightly, scoring in consecutive games away to Motherwell in the Premiership and a crucial goal against Russian team Ufa in the Europa League, helping secure their spot in the Europa League group stages.

However, a costly mistake in the Old Firm derby against Celtic was the beginning of the end for Ejaria in Scotland, as he failed to track the run of Oliver Ntcham, before the Frenchman netted the game’s winning goal.

Sky Sports journalist and Rangers fan Andrew Dickson says, despite undoubted ability, Ejaria’s lack of fight let him down.

“Rangers fans love players who show commitment on the park, often showing genuine forgiveness for a lack of skill if someone makes up for that with effort and determination, but Ejaria arguably gave them the opposite,” Dickson explained.

“He had the talent yet didn’t apply himself nearly as much as it was thought he would. In a league where character pays off, he didn’t show it enough to make the progress both Rangers and Liverpool hoped for.

“He ultimately grew unsettled in Glasgow and wanted to leave so when he did, it left many fans of the opinion he lacked the mental and physical strength to be deemed a success at Ibrox.”

As mentioned, Ejaria struggled to settle across the border and, despite being involved in almost all of Rangers’ league and European games, the 21-year-old decided to cut his loan short at Rangers.

Reports from Scotland at the time claimed that he didn’t like the physicality in the Scottish Premiership, which led to plenty of criticism from pundits and fans alike. This wasn’t helped by Ejaria unfollowing Rangers on Instagram and deleting all reference to them from his profile before a crucial Europa League tie against Villarreal in December.

Upon Ejaria’s return to Liverpool in January, Gerrard said: “Am I disappointed he’s gone? Yes. Do I think it’s the right decision? No, because I think he had an incredible opportunity here.

“I have to accept the decision. I’m sad about it, I wish him all the best. He’s a nice kid, very quiet. He told me it was 100 percent football reasons and I have to respect that.”

Despite being back at Liverpool after two unsuccessful loan spells, the midfielder was brought in by then Reading boss Jose Gomes in an attempt to remain in the Championship.

Along with the other successful loanees brought in by Gomes, Ejaria helped the Royals avoid the drop, leading to calls from fans to bring him back for at least another season. The Reading owners were unconvinced however, despite Gomes’ desperation to re-sign him for the 2018-19 campaign.

A deal was eventually completed to bring him back on season-long loan on literally the last minute of the transfer window. And, within that, the club also agreed to make the transfer permanent at the end of the current campaign for just £3.5m.

Ejaria has continually wowed Reading fans ever since arriving at the Madjeski, with his nimble footwork and skills that have seemed almost impossible to pull off. He’s made midfielders of the highest order look silly with nutmegs, flicks and dragbacks and, on his day, he’s impossible to stop.

However, there are still many Reading supporters who are continuously frustrated by his dilly-dallying on the ball and reluctance to play the easy pass at times. And, highlighted by his time in Scotland, someone that is 6ft and 165lb shouldn’t be shrugged off the ball as easily as does.

These faults were echoed by others who have watched him at his previous clubs, heavily praising his technical ability and his close control, but criticising his lack of physicality and a tendency to be far too meek on the ball.

At 22, Ejaria is still a few years from his prime though, and it seems unlikely that these things will remain a problem. Before the season was suspended, it was evident that the midfielder had begun to improve on some of those faults and Royals fans can only imagine how dangerous he could be if he were to bulk out slightly.

“He’s still figuring out his role. He’s a good dribbler so sometimes it’s too easy for managers to shove him out wide, but he’s always been a midfielder and that's where he belongs,” says youth football expert Connor Rowden.

“To keep improving, he just needs to keep finding the balance between trying to carry the ball and moving it quickly. Once his one-on-one skills are isolated to times they're actually needed, he'll be more efficient and more productive.

“I think he can be a good Premier League midfielder and, therefore, get in contention for an England cap at some point. I think playing for a top side is probably a step too far, but who knows.

“Like with most players, it's all about the fit and the right coach as to if he hits his ceiling.”

Reading have a history of bargain hunting. The signatures of Kevin Doyle and Shane Long for a combined fee of around about £75k spring to mind but, more recently, Andy Yiadom and John Swift both being brought in on free transfers also looks like shrewd business.

But perhaps the capture of Ejaria for, let me remind you, £3.5m could better all of those, especially if he can continue impressing in Berkshire and begin to fulfil the potential that was expected of him. Cue the Liverpool board scrambling to see if they can cancel that permanent transfer clause…

—ReadingChronicle

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Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by AndSunGorilla: 6:34pm On May 11, 2020
tbaba1234:


Law Enforcement will have a case if they get players affected to testify. There have been many players involved in this. If you get 3-5 to testify, you have a strong case.

There would also be bank transfer records in some cases.

Many players will not want to go that route, it draws attention to them. Even Obasi is getting pressured and he mentioned no names.
As one popular yoruba fuji artist one sang, matter we dey judge hand pass somebody piss anywhere. Unfortunately nothing will happen within 9ja on top all these confessions.
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Joebie: 6:34pm On May 11, 2020
The stats show where Ndidi is better and otherwise. You are making a different argument.
If you need more physical presence and players to win aerial duels in the midfield your go to man is Billing. That’s also important to help a team keep possession. Billing has played more as a CM than DM in this current season. So here is a place for Billing in other areas when needed.




Blueelf:


Oga, how has his Ariel duels contributed to match wins?

Does he score headers regularly? Is he better interceptor than Ndidi. He will play second fiddle to Ndidi as long as Ndidi is fit. That's the truth
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Joebie: 6:42pm On May 11, 2020
“England was never going to give me a chance to play for the senior team, that’s the difference. Nigeria gave me the pathway to play for their senior team,” Aina was quoted as saying in an Instagram Live interview by the Punch. “I probably would have made it there at some point but Nigeria told me I can make it here now, it was a no-brainer.”

— goal

2 Likes

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by komekn(m): 6:45pm On May 11, 2020
Humility017:


I understand bro...
Those words he put up there wasn't right
You're not hungry even though I don't know you in person I believe you're doing well for yourself.

Just chill bro and let's enjoy the season

I was initially enjoying your football punditry here prior this comes in

How is enugu nah?

Good to know you guys are not in the CONVID-19 LEAGUE
It's like the champions league spot is sealed already between Lagos, Kano and FCT �

You sure say u go uniben

Maybe you did but I doubt if you are from Edo or Delta states. Or you ever lived there.

Because your understanding of the Edo and Delta pidgin is seriously seriously questionable. You seem not understand the terminology and meaning and dramatic comedic impact or if you like tongue in cheek.

I am sure Edopesin and Joebie can definitely school you.

You have totally misconstrued my words and substance in the pidgin that was used to convey the message.

4 Likes

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Nobody: 6:56pm On May 11, 2020
Current/Past Eagles as Managers...See Ndidi grin grin

2 Likes

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by tbaba1234: 6:58pm On May 11, 2020
Bolowolowo:
Current Eagles as Managers...See Ndidi grin grin

I think Mikel will go into coaching. Ndidi seems to be more interested in the business side of things as he is pursuing a business degree,

4 Likes

Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Edopesin: 7:07pm On May 11, 2020
Bolowolowo:
Current Eagles as Managers...See Ndidi grin grin

omo see as Ndidi fresh and clean
Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2023, 2025 And 2026 World Cup by Blueelf: 7:12pm On May 11, 2020
Subzero047:


The thing is, Iwobi does not have the mindset of a professional footballer, he doesn't train, he has a poor cardio, he is more interested in being a celebrity than being a footballer

Carlo Ancelotti prefers a 4-4-2 formation and I'm struggling to see where he would fit in the new Everton side

Exactly, my brother. I have said this severally

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